Author Archives: Laura Beth

08.11.16
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Book Review #15: “The One and Only: A Maryellen Classic”

American Girl Maryellen - amazon

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“I’m drawn to the 1950s for lots of reasons – everything from the fashion to the increasing sense of freedom and modernity that builds throughout the decade.”

~Sara Sheridan

I couldn’t agree more with Sara’s quote above.

I was so excited when Maryellen Larkin was announced as the first BeForever exclusive character in the spring of 2015. I loved the cover of this book immediately. Her outfit is on point, and the stories were set in Florida. Sign me up!

I was slightly disappointed when I learned the setting was Daytona Beach (I have significant bias toward Miami, and the Gulf Coast – St. Petersburg, etc.), but nonetheless, I knew I wanted to read the books.

As mentioned in my book reviews about Melody Ellison recently, I’m deeply attracted to the time period of the 20th century between The Great Depression and the end of the 1970s.

Maryellen’s first book immerses you in a world where Maryellen, or Ellie, is trying to find her place in a huge family – One of six children!

That wasn’t unusual in the 1950s, which the author explains brilliantly at the end of the book, with the time of optimism, a stronger economy, and the baby boom.

Although the book carries quite a sunny disposition throughout, there’s always some conflict or issues sprinkled in. This one addresses the ending of World War II, the Cold War, and scenarios around friendship, bullying, and prejudice.

Maryellen’s character had me laughing, as well as shaking my head. Being stuck in the middle between two older sisters and then a younger sister and two younger brothers, it’s natural she would feel a bit underappreciated and vying for her parents’ attention and being in good graces with her siblings. As an only child, this is something that I did not have to deal with growing up!

Despite several missteps and misadventures along the way, Maryellen is bright, determined, and compassionate. There’s a new girl at the start of school, and Maryellen decides to be the bigger person and show compassion toward her, when her other friends tend to be stuck in the past.

—

The first story wraps up around Christmastime, which had a strange effect on me. It was a good ending, but closing the book made my mind instantly flood with memories.

I thought of my childhood Christmases that were divided between Virginia and Florida.

I thought of the times and memories with my grandparents.

My dad’s dad is still alive, still doing well at 90. I want to go visit him again, very soon.

—

So many memories.

I’m very excited to start reading volume 2 – The sneak peek promises several surprises!

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

 

08.09.16
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Tag #7: “50 Movie Tag Questions”

Movies - quotescover

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I stumbled upon Young OFW’s post on Sunday morning. He inspired me to do my two Movie Marathon posts a few months back, so I was really excited to see this post!

Here’s the link to his post:

Here are my answers! I hope you enjoy them!

  1. How often do you watch a movie?  It depends. With such marvels as Netflix and Amazon Prime / Amazon Fire, it can be up to one per day!
  2. What movie genre are you particularly fond of?  I like almost any genre. The only one I’m not into: Horror. Too many nightmares!
  3. What was the last movie that you’ve watched and liked?  We just saw Suicide Squad on Thursday, August 4th. It was awesome!
  4. What was the last movie that you’ve watched and hated?  I’m not a big hater when it comes to movies. I honestly can’t think of one that I’ve outright, truly hated!
  5. What is your most favorite movie of all time?  I can’t pick just one! Forrest Gump, Dirty Dancing, Star Wars, Jurassic Park …
  6. Your most favorite guilty pleasure movie?  Ghost, and Twister.
  7. What movie/movies have you watched a million times already?  Forrest Gump, Dirty Dancing, Twister, The Wedding Singer.
  8. Are you the type who watches a movie on its first day of showing?  It depends. If it’s a Marvel or DC movie, then yes. Otherwise, unless I’m really into a particular movie, I can wait a while before seeing it.
  9. Do you use Fandango or do you pre-booked movie tickets?  Originally, I didn’t like Fandango. But, in reality, Fandango is super convenient, especially since one of our local theaters has the reclining seats that you reserve in advance.
  10. Movie house, Blu-ray, or download?  I’ve always preferred seeing movies in theaters. However, between Al and I, we have quite a massive collection of DVDs and Blu-rays. We’ve also downloaded several movies from Amazon and enjoyed them that way.
  11. How often do you go to a movie house to watch a movie?  I started counting recently, and it simply varies from month to month. Sometimes it’s only once a month, but it tends to be higher in the summer months.
  12. What are the movies that made you cry?  Too many! Forrest Gump, Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Toy Story 3, Up, The Shawshank Redemption, Milk, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook …
  13. Do you watch foreign films?  Not really.
  14. What are your favorite foreign films?  Life Is Beautiful.
  15. Who are your favorite directors?  Spielberg, Hitchcock, Scorsese, Crowe.
  16. Are you particular with movie scores, soundtracks, and musics?  Yes. The music can make or break a movie.
  17. What movie soundtrack can be found in your iPod?  Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1, all the Harry Potter movies, Jurassic Park.
  18. Have you ever watched a movie alone on a movie house?  Yes. I try to go to a movie solo every year in honor of my birthday. The last movie that I watched by myself was Eddie the Eagle, back in March. I loved it!
  19. What is the best chick flick for you?  10 Things I Hate About You, The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, The Five-Year Engagement … Basically any movie adapted from a Nicholas Sparks book!
  20. Is there any movie that has changed your perspective in life?  I have two: Forrest Gump and Ghost. Forrest Gump made me fall in love with history and historical fiction, and gave me a greater appreciation for people with disabilities or challenges. Ghost made me grateful for every day that I have with my loved ones.
  21. Your favorite comic book movie?  It’s a tie: Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
  22. DC or Marvel movies?  I like both.
  23. What are the movies in the top 10 in IMDb that you have watched?  I have watched all 10.
  24. Do you read movie critic reviews before watching a film?  No.
  25. What is the best movie adapted from a book?  To Kill a Mockingbird, The Pelican Brief, Jurassic Park, The Princess Bride, The Green Mile, Ender’s Game, Jumanji, The Outsiders, The Perfect Storm, The Cider House Rules.
  26. Do you watch the movie before reading the book or vice versa?  I always try to read the book before seeing the movie.
  27. What is your most favorite comedy movie?  Ghostbusters (1984), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Airplane!
  28. Drama movie?  Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption, The Pelican Brief, A Few Good Men, All The President’s Men.
  29. Western movie?  Maverick.
  30. Romantic comedy film?  Silver Linings Playbook, When Harry Met Sally, The Wedding Singer.
  31. Horror film?  Psycho.
  32. Sports movies?  Remember the Titans, Rudy, The Express, A League of Their Own, Glory Road, Hoosiers, Field of Dreams.
  33. Sci-fi?  Contact, Star Wars, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.
  34. Action movies?  Die Hard, GoldenEye, Batman (1989).
  35. War movies?  Schindler’s List, Casablanca, Glory.
  36. Who is your most favorite movie couple?  John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
  37. Any movie character you can relate to?  Not really.
  38. If you are to only watch five movies for the rest of your life, what would the movies be?  This one was surprisingly easy: Forrest Gump, Ghost, Dirty Dancing, The Princess Bride, and Remember the Titans.
  39. Your least favorite movie of all time?  Skyline (2010).
  40. Have you ever watched a movie based on the lead actor/actress only?  Plenty of times. Anything with Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Patrick Swayze, George Clooney, or Meryl Streep leading, you’ll find me watching it.
  41. What movie you expected and wanted to be good but failed you?  Batman v Superman:  Dawn of Justice.
  42. Favorite movie character of all time?  Forrest Gump.
  43. Favorite movie villain?  Darth Vader.
  44. Any movie sequel that you’re still waiting to see?  Not at the moment.
  45. Ever made a movie review?  Not yet.
  46. Star Wars or Star Trek?  Star Wars.
  47. Right now, think of any movie, what comes first?  Star Trek Beyond – That’s next on the must-see list.
  48. Favorite movie lines?  “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” — “May the Force be with you.” — “You can’t handle the truth!” — “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
  49. TV series, books, computer games, or movies in order of interest?  Books, movies, TV series, computer games.
  50. Lastly, if your life story is to be made into a movie, who would you like to portray you? Who should be directing it and what would be the title?  I wouldn’t want my life story to be made into a movie. I’d much rather write a novel that’s made into a movie, and it being done well.

I Tag:

  • Everyone! I’d love to see what people’s responses are.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.07.16
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Tag #6: “3 Days, 3 Quotes Tag” (Day 3)

Tag - cateredcrop

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Rules:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you – Blanca @ A Girl’s Voyage.
  2. Post a quote for 3 consecutive days (1 quote for each day).
  3. Nominate three new bloggers each day.

Here’s my quote for Day 3!

Tag - brainyquote 2

Image Credit: brainyquote.com

My Three Nominees:

  1. Nicky @ The Shimmer Within Her
  2. Hannah @ Wordsmith Observations
  3. Suyog Chhatre @ Positivity Unlimited – Re-imagine The Life!

That’s all!

I really enjoyed this tag – I love finding awesome quotes!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.07.16
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Getting Personal #27: Reflections, On My Birthday

Birthday - quotesgram

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There’s no significant holiday in August, so my birthday has always felt like one.

My parents have a beautiful frame that holds two of my footprints and my birth announcement. Around the age of 10, I remember reading it, trying to understand it, and then carefully taking the frame it to my mom, asking her what it meant.

There’s a reason why there are two footprints in that frame.

The first one, very tiny, has the following caption:

  • 1 lb., 15 oz.

The second one, a little bigger, has the following caption:

  • 5 lbs., 10 oz.

—

I came into this world 15 weeks too soon.

I was given a 50/50 chance of survival.

I am a survivor.

My birth announcement indicates that I came home from Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City on my actual due date – November 18th.

—

Through pictures and stories, I learned I was on oxygen for the first full year of my life. I was hospitalized twice within that first year for the common cold.

My favorite baby picture is the one where my dad’s wedding ring fit through my whole hand, hanging off my tiny wrist like a bracelet.

I first flew on an airplane when I was six months old, oxygen and all.

My parents put me in every kind of therapy program imaginable – Speech, occupational, physical. You name it, I was probably in it.

As I grew older, I simply marveled at, and was humbled by, my beginnings.

I was placed in a class called “Developmental First” at my elementary school, in between kindergarten and first grade. It technically held me back for a year, but it was a wonderful class that helped me immensely. There were about 10 other kids in the class with me, who all needed an extra boost, so to speak. My mom and my teacher, Mrs. Mansell, are still close friends to this day.

I was in occupational therapy until third grade, working on my motor skills.

I was in speech therapy until fourth grade. I still remember the day that I was pulled out of Mrs. Hartis’s class and told that I had “graduated” from speech.

Towards the end of elementary school, I discovered my passion for writing. The “Young Authors” program / contest was held every year, and each student created their own story, writing and illustrating it. Once finished, it was bound with spiral-looking plastic and sent off to be reviewed. My little book, titled “Electro Girl,” was chosen for recognition, and my parents and I were invited to an awards ceremony. That ceremony is also where I also met my best friend, Melissa.

Since then, I haven’t been illustrating any more books, but I’ve been trying to write them. I’ve kept a blue binder, covered in stickers, that’s full of stories that I wrote from age 10, all the way through the end of high school. I want to dig it out at some point and look through it again.

Reflecting on my time so far on this Earth, I feel immensely humbled and blessed. There were so many people who bent over backwards for me – My parents, my family, our friends, the doctors and nurses, teachers, and so many others. There were thousands of prayers, kind words, and constant encouragement – Then, and now.

Before I leave you on this gorgeous Sunday morning, I want to share my favorite Bible verse with you.

Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29-11 - lilyandval

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Jeremiah 29-11 - embeddedfaith

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I think I was in sixth grade when I was first introduced to this passage. I clearly remember the first time I read this passage in my own Bible – I immediately grabbed a pen and underlined it.

For those who know me, I almost NEVER make marks / highlights / notes in any books, at all, unless it’s super important or significant.

It’s stuck with me ever since.

On tough days, I know that I can look at this verse, and I feel peace.

God has a plan.

He always does.

—

Thanks for reading.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.06.16
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Tag #5: “3 Days, 3 Quotes Tag” (Day 2)

Tag - cateredcrop

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Rules:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you – Blanca @ A Girl’s Voyage.
  2. Post a quote for 3 consecutive days (1 quote for each day).
  3. Nominate three new bloggers each day.

Here’s my quote for Day 2!

Tag - brainyquote

Image Credit: brainyquote.com

My Three Nominees:

  1. Sableyes
  2. Natalie @ The Girl in the Little Black Dress
  3. Tony @ I Am Antonia Michele

Come back tomorrow for Day 3!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.05.16
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Tag #4: “3 Days, 3 Quotes Tag” (Day 1)

Tag - cateredcrop

Image Credit: cateredcrop.com

Rules:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you.
  2. Post a quote for 3 consecutive days (1 quote for each day).
  3. Nominate three new bloggers each day.

Thanks to Blanca over at A Girl’s Voyage for nominating me!

Here’s the link to Blanca’s post where I was tagged:

Here’s my quote for Day 1!

Bravery - quotationof

Image Credit: quotationof.com

My Three Nominees:

  1. Ariel Lynn @ Writing Radiation
  2. B.G. @ Getting Through Anxiety
  3. Kristian @ Life Lessons Around the Dinner Table

Come back tomorrow for Day 2!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.05.16
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Getting Personal #26: “Guest Post by Laura Beth @HotShotHeadlines: Raising Awareness About Domestic Violence” (Reblogged)

Domestic - pinterest

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Today, this blog post is a HUGE step for me.

For the first time, ever, I’m sharing my entire story — My entire experience from 2006 through 2010. Until now, I’ve mentioned pieces of it, here and there, on this blog. This took a lot of courage. It took me multiple drafts of an email, several days of reviewing and re-reading, feeling knots in my stomach and tears in my eyes.

I’ve wanted to do this for almost six years now, but something kept telling me to wait, to be patient, that the right venue or opportunity would come along.

Thanks to Carla and her amazing blog, she’s made it her mission to share those stories that need to be read / heard. Please check out her blog – The Melodramatic Confessions of Carla Louise. She balances tough, scorching topics – Feminism, rape culture, domestic violence, abuse, capital punishment – with awesome challenges about TV shows and music.

Carla has a disclaimer at the beginning of her post, but I’ll share a version of my own:

Disclaimer: This post contains graphic depictions of abuse, violence, sex, alcohol, and a few other difficult topics.

—

With that said, I welcome comments or questions. Please feel free to reach out to me, via commenting here, or by the information on my “Contact” page.

Thank you.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.03.16
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Hot Topic #15: Thoughts On The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro

Rio Olympics - geckoandfly

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It’s hard to believe that the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will open in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in just two days, on August 5th.

Originally, I wasn’t super excited about this year’s Games, much less wanting to support them.

Rio Olympics - pinterest

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I knew my thoughts and feelings were a direct result of watching / seeing / scrolling through the constant news coverage.

The Zika virus.

The state of Brazil – Its government, etc.

All the criticisms of Rio – Delayed construction of Olympic facilities, raw sewage, etc.

Protests.

Those athletes deciding not to compete.

But, as the opening day has drawn closer, more and more commercials showcasing Olympic athletes have sprung up, everywhere, and my thoughts and feelings have shifted, ever so slightly.

I’ve always been excited to watch the gymnastics teams compete at the Summer Games. It started with my mom recording them on our VCR, and it’s continued to grow.

Over the years, I’ve grown to enjoy watching beach volleyball, softball,  swimming, diving, and a handful of other sports.

Despite all the negativity and criticism over the last several years, I’m proud to be an American and support all of the athletes who represent Team USA.

I plan to eagerly watch athletes Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Missy Franklin, and Dana Vollmer, compete for our great nation.

I know I have a bit of bias towards women, but I’m cheering for Team USA as a whole. Competing at the Olympics is symbolic of so many things, including hard work, dedication, determination, perseverance, and more.

I’m certainly not a world-class athlete, but I’m excited that so many of them are representing Team USA, as well as other countries around this little blue planet of ours.

Rio Olympics - youtube

Image Credit: youtube.com

What’s your opinion of the 2016 Olympic Games?

Has the news coverage affected your opinion at all?

Do you plan to watch the Olympic Games?

Do you have a favorite Olympic sport?

I’d love to hear about it!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.01.16
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Getting Personal #25: August Goals

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Several bloggers I follow do monthly goal posts, and I’ve always enjoyed reading them. It’s good to put yourself out there, to hold yourself accountable!

When I read Brey’s post this morning, I knew I wanted to start doing my own.

I commented on Brey’s post with my goals, so I’ll share those first:

  1. Build up some cash
  2. Thoroughly enjoy my birthday!
  3. See Star Trek: Beyond, Jason Bourne, and maybe one other movie with my husband
  4. Prepare for the start of my Trial Prep & Discovery class at the end of the month
  5. Finalize our first wedding anniversary getaway for November
  6. Read Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
  7. Keep blogging!

Between writing that comment and starting this post, I came up with a few more:

  1. Paint as much of the house as possible
  2. Hopefully move my furniture!
  3. Find at least five new recipes
  4. Start tracking our monthly expenses via spreadsheet
  5. Check out geekgirlpenpals.com (Thanks, A Girl’s Voyage!)

Here’s the breakdown:

Build up some cash

  • Last month, I got bit by the American Girl bug. I have two dolls – Stephanie and Molly – and I happened to find several American Girl groups on Facebook. Let’s just say I went a little crazy / overboard (Neither doll has made the trek from Mom and Dad’s to our house yet, either). So, in August, I’ve pledged to slow down on the personal spending and try to rebuild some of my cash.

Thoroughly enjoy my birthday!

  • My birthday falls on a Sunday this year – So that’s awesome. I worked on my actual birthday for several years, and I hated it. Finally, I decided that I would take my birthday off from work if it fell during the week, or a Friday or Monday if it fell during the weekend. This year, I’m doing the Monday route, and I’m so excited. The last few years, I’ve treated myself to a movie, solo, one that Al may not want to see. My plan is to go to LUSH at MacArthur Mall and then see a movie there. We’re (Al, me, and my parents) also going to Olive Garden for dinner on Sunday night – Yum!

See Star Trek: Beyond, Jason Bourne, and maybe one other movie with my husband

  • We’re hoping to see Star Trek: Beyond this week. Jason Bourne also looks very good. We are considering seeing Suicide Squad on Thursday night, but it may be later this weekend or next week. I have roughly three weeks before my fall class starts, so I’m very excited for the break!

Prepare for the start of my Trial Prep & Discovery class at the end of the month

  • I have a short break before my Trial Prep & Discovery class starts on August 22nd. It’s another on-campus class in Virginia Beach, but the class is held just once a week, on Tuesday nights. I’m really excited for this one! We get to learn about trials, the discovery process, and how you prepare to go to trial. I need to get my books and make sure everything is squared away long before the 22nd!

Finalize our first wedding anniversary getaway for November

  • Our first wedding anniversary is November 14th. Yeesh, how time flies! Al and I have been discussing where to go and what to do. We’ve been debating back and forth – Do we go away, or do something local? We probably won’t be doing a whole week off of work, but likely a Friday – Tuesday thing, since our anniversary falls on a Monday this year, due to Leap Year.

Read Harry Potter and The Cursed Child

  • As much of a Harry Potter fan as I am, I was very skeptical about The Cursed Child. However, I’m going to bite the bullet and buy it!

Keep blogging!

  • I really enjoyed doing the July TV Show Photo Challenge! I had a lot of fun with it, and I’m so proud of myself that I posted every day for 16 days! Woohoo! I’m taking a break from daily challenges for this month, but I hope to do another one in September. In the meantime, I plan to keep blogging as much as possible – I have at least three books I want to read and review, plus house updates!

Paint as much of the house as possible

  • Al made amazing progress this weekend on the walls by our stairs and upstairs hallway. I was able to help a little, with finishing my final Legal Research project and all. We’re planning to get the paint for the four bedrooms tonight, and just go to town.

Hopefully move my furniture!

  • We haven’t moved much of my furniture because we’ve been painting, and our garages have been pretty full. So that would be nice to accomplish by the end of the month. Then we’ll be fully moved in, and my parents get two bedrooms back!

Find at least five new recipes

  • I want to pull out our new Crock-Pot and go to town, among other things. I have two recipes that I used years ago, but I want to push myself and find five brand-new recipes that will be healthy and tasty!

Start tracking our monthly expenses via spreadsheet

  • We just made our first mortgage payment! Wow. We decided last month to catalog everything in a spreadsheet, so we’ll sit down and start inputting every dollar.

Check out geekgirlpenpals.com

  • Thanks to her Snail Mail post, I want to check out this site immediately. I love writing letters and cards, so I’m excited to look at this site and possibly sign up to get a pen pal!

That’s it for my August goals!

I’m going to make this a regular thing – Do a “Goals” post around the 1st of the month, and then a “Recap” post at the end of the month. I’m excited!

Do you have any for this month?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂